The re-imagined Hood Museum of Art re-opened​last weekend at Dartmouth College.​Among the treasures, I sawthis work by Elias Sime.Undulating. Pulsing. In motion. Alive. And yet it's made out of castoffmotherboards, toxic contributors to multitudes of e-waste.

And yet the city he envisions is "a sprawling ecosystemof form and water." It's a huge work, covering awall. Is it a tile mosaic? Is it marble?No. It's a captivating vision ofwhat's possible when we see beyondwhat appears toxic and allow beauty to emerge. Bliss.

El Anatsui, Hover, 2003 at The Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, NH

And then, on another wall, in the same gallery, this.El Anatsui's "shimmering tapestry" evokingmaterial flowing in a breeze, but no,it's a carefully constructed compilation ofbottle tops and copper wire. Garbage comes to life.

So when I got home with this week's buckets full ofcompost from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe,I was startled when I saw this.Lemons. Lots of lemons. I hadn't plannedon taking any photographs, but who could resist the vibrancy?

Compost lemons from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe, Hanover, NH

That's how it is for me. Apparent waste evokes joy. Thereis possibility. I wonder if that's what Elias Simeor El Anatsui were thinking? Or not.It's just what happens when creativity andclimate action converge at the compost pile or anywhere.

What have you seen or experienced this weekthat evokes joy or invites creativity? Letit happen, when and whereverit may. It's magical and life-giving and forme, makes the world a much more interesting place.

Happy New Year!

Excerpt from Walt Whitman's Poem "This Compost"

I've neverembroidered before,but I decided to embroiderexcerpts from Walt Whitman'spoem "This Compost." While he mayhave written about dead corpses followingthe American Civil War, I re-imaginedhis words and considered wasteinstead, and the power ofthe earth to renewherself againand again.

We have thatsame power. Every January 1st to begin again.Whitman's is an optimistic poem reflecting our innate American optimism.I celebrate this poem not just because2019 is the 200th anniversary ofWhitman's birth, but alsobecause his messageis more importantnow than ever.

My individualstitches might be unevenand the text written on an old pillowcasemay be awkward, but seen from afar, the colorsare bright, cheerful and make me wantto smile. Optimism is all I know.So here we come 2019,on stitch at a time...

I launchedmy online climate'coaching' class and ampetrified. What if no one is interested or needs what I haveto offer? But I show up, one week, one stitchat a time andknow it isgood.

1995 sheepskin fleece washed for the first time in 20 years!

I came homefrom Mexico to findthat my anxious dog hadpeed all over the sheepskin rugI stand on to write these blog posts.Frustrated? You bet. But what's a gal to do?A few squirts of soap, some aggressivemassaging of the fleece and somepatience while it dried was allthat was needed. This iswhat I tell myself.New Year. Newventures.Patience.

Compost, Hanover, NH By Evelyn R. Swett

So here we are.It's 2019. The UN ClimateReport says we have twelve years.Our job is to show up, support each other andget the job done. For me, that involvespersistence and patience and a whole lot of bravery asI creatively try newthings. Whatabout​you?

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**Let's ReFrame is a weekly viewsletter about this and that.It includes links to recent blog posts, updates about my work, and when relevant, inspirational action prompts​for you to explore your creativity and passion for the world you love.